Simple and “free” ways to help you reduce back pain

According to studies, low back pain (also known as low back pain or low back pain) affects at least 619 million people worldwide, and this number is expected to increase to 843 million by 2050.

Unfortunately, experts say nearly 70% of people who recover from an episode of low back pain will have a recurrence within a year.

In addition to the acute physical discomfort and lost time from work, treatment often requires physical therapy and exercises such as Pilates. You may have to pay a fee or need specialized equipment for therapy.

But according to a new randomized clinical trial, there's an easier and free way to prevent lower back pain, at least for a while.

The results of the trial showed that people who walked regularly after suffering at least one episode of low back pain were nearly twice as likely to have pain relief than those who did not walk.

“The regular walking group had fewer episodes of pain than the sedentary group, and the average time before they had a relapse was longer: 208 days compared to 112 days,” said Mark Hancock, professor of physiotherapy at Macquarie University in Sydney.

“Walking is a simple, easy and low-cost exercise that almost anyone can do,” says Professor Hancock.

Walk at least 30 minutes

The study, published recently in The Lancet, followed 701 Australian adults, mostly women over 50 who had recently recovered from lower back pain and had difficulty performing daily activities.

Those in the “walking group” were asked to increase their walking time to 30 minutes five times a week for six months. They were also encouraged to jog.

“After three months, most participants were walking three to five days a week, for an average of 130 minutes total,” according to Hancock.

Participants were asked to wear a pedometer to monitor their daily steps and keep a walking diary. They also wore accelerometers to objectively measure “brisk walking” or other physical activity. The program also included educational sessions led by a physical therapist.

“Our research has shown that this effective and accessible exercise method has the potential to be successfully implemented at a much larger scale than other forms of exercise,” said Natasha Pocovi, a postdoctoral researcher at Macquarie.

However, Hancock said that due to the structure of the study, it was not possible to determine whether the benefits were due to the walking or the educational program provided by the physical therapists.

“We believe it is likely that these two components complement each other, with education helping to overcome exercise avoidance and fear, while the exercise and walking program leads to behavioral changes,” he said.

Because the educational sessions are more behavioral training than actual physical therapy, walking may be the main reason back pain patients “get better,” says A. Lynn Millar, a retired physical therapist and former professor at Winston-Salem State University in Winston-Salem.

What effect does walking have on low back pain?

First of all, exercise is good for every part of the body.

“Sitting is not the best posture for your back and walkers will ‘sit less’,” says Millar.

"Walking improves overall circulation, as well as blood flow to the back muscles that actively support the body during movement. Joint movement also helps circulate synovial fluid, and the joints of the spine can benefit from this movement."

Experts say walking improves metabolism and calorie burn. Losing weight can reduce the load on the back and legs, ensuring better spinal health.

Brisk walking also helps improve the strength of the major muscles around the spine and in the legs. All of which help improve posture and provide better spinal support.

Walking also increases muscle endurance, ensuring that muscles are less susceptible to fatigue and injury. Weight-bearing exercises like walking increase bone density, protecting against injury, and stimulate the release of endorphins – the body’s natural feel-good hormones that help reduce pain and stress.

Millar says it's important to vary the pace and distance of your walks over the course of the week. “Some problems can arise from 'progressing too quickly' and not paying attention to early pain,” she says.

Millar suggests that when starting a walking program, you need good shoes with arch support. And if “your back hurts” when walking, you may need to switch to another activity, like cycling or swimming. Taking a day or two off from walking and doing some back exercises and stretches can also help.